Stopped in at the pregame festivities press conference, where Alicia Keys and American Idol winner Jordan Sparks spoke. Sparks is singing the national anthem. But more germane to this blog, she’s the daughter of former Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks.

Phillippi wasn’t in attendance, but he’s been around town Super Bowl week because he and the family live right in Glendale, where the stadium is. Wanted to ask him if his daughter’s given him the business about being the only one of the two to actually make the Super Bowl. But Jordan took care of that in the question and answer period, anyway.

“My dad played and I grew up around football, so I’m a huge fan,” Jordan said. “When I told him, ‘Hey, dad, I’m going to do this thing at the Super Bowl,’ he said, ‘Well, at least one of us made it.’ Sorry!”

Maybe it was a just a bit of solidarity for young Jordan, but Keys shouted “Go Giants!” as she was introduced, even though she later admitted she knows little about the game.

And so begins the celebrity season at Super Bowl XLII. ESPN has this huge stage set up outside the press center, where hundreds flock around to see the talking heads do their show. I saw one woman chasing Jerry Rice across the street for an autograph he refused to give her. And there’s the requisite soap box preacher at the corner, urging people to repent for their sins. He’d have probably been better off up in Scottsdale, yapping at Bill Belichick and his camera man.

Still no Cameron Diaz, though. No sighting. No phone messages. I’m bummed.

Back to work.

Ciao for now.